Improvement in machines for printing oil-cloths



2SheetsSheet1. L. M. RANDALL & H A. MOORE.

' Patented. June 20,1876.

NFEI'ERS, PHOTd-LITHOGRAFHER. WASHINGTON, Dv C,

z Sheets-Shet L. M. RANDALL & H. A. MOORE.

MACHINES FOR PRINTING on; CLOTH. $10,179,059. Patented J'une 20, 1876.

NFETERS, PHOTO LITHOGRAFHER, WASHINGTON. n C.

' of the machine.

LEWIs M. RANDALL, OF SALEM, NEW JERsEY, AND HENRY A. MOORE, on BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROYEMENT IN MACHINES FOR PRINTING OIL-CLOTHS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 179,059, dated June 20, 1876; application filed September 3, 1875.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, LEWIS M. RANDALL,

.of Salem, in the county of Salem and State of New Jersey, and HENRY A. MOORE, of

Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State ced, capable of printing oil-cloths and the he with'greater rapidity and finish than the machines hitherto in use for the same or similar purposes. The invention further comprises certain novel combinations of parts, whereby the greatest degree ofeffectiveness in the hereinbefore-specifiedmain or essential features of the invention is secured.

Figure 1 is a plan view of an apparatus made according to our invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, and Fig. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal view thereof.

A are printing-blocks, attached at their ends to two endless chains, B, which are arranged in parallel vertical planes, and run over pulleys O O on shafts D D at the ends v These printing-blocks A are made in the usual manner for color-printing, each block having its face formed in relief to print such portion of'the intended design as is to he in one color, and'no more. For ex ample, if the design on the printed cloth contains eight colors, and the systemof blocks A comprises eight of said blocks, the blocks must each be devoted to a single color, and to a single portion of the design. If, however,

but four colors were to be used, then the said blocks for said number of colors would be duplicated in the eight embraced in the system.

E is the driving-shaft, having at one end a crank, a, connecting, by arod, 1), with a crankpin, a, on a disk, 0, loose on the end of a fixed shaft, F, on which is also a loose spur-Wheel, j, which gears into a spur-wheel, G, on the end of the shaft D. The disk 0 has a pawl, ii, that works into a ratchet, t, on the side of the spur-wheel Gr.

As the crank a revolves with the drivingshaft it gives an alternating semi-rotary movement in opposite directions to the disk 0, whereby the pawl h is caused to act upon the ratchet t to give an intermittent rotary movement to the endless system of printingblocks A, hereinbefore described, thereby bringing the several blocks in succession to and from underheath the plunger E. This plunger is arrangedin vertical guides j at the sides of the machine, and receives a vertical movement through rods m, provided at their upper ends with straps a, passing around actuatingeccentrics n on the shaft E.

From the crank a extends a rod, 1', to one arm of an elbow-lever, 1, from the opposite arm of which extends a rod, J, to'acrank-pin, 1

b, or a disk, K, loose on a fixed shaft or hearing, E. On this latter is also a loose spurwheel, F, ;as shown'in Fig. 2, which gears into a spur-wheel, G, on the end of a transverse shaft, H. The disk K carries a pawl, e, which acts upon a ratchet, f, on the side of spurwheel F, as shown in dotted outline in Fig. 2, L, and parallel with it is another shaft, 1, upon which are two otherpulleys, L. From the pulleys L to the pulleys L extend endless chains 1., which carry a system of troughs, M, each designed for the reception of a particular color, and corresponding in number to the blocks A, less the finishing-block, so termed, which receives no color. In each trough is roller N, which is capable of turning freely therein, and the upper side of which projects somewhat above the top of the trough. These troughs are freely suspended fromthe chains in such manner as to keep right side up during the rotation of the saidchains.

The rotation of the driving-shaft E, acting through the rod r,'elbow-lever I, rod J, crankpin 1), pawl e, ratchet f, and spur-wheels F G, gives an intermittent rotary movement to the system of troughs M, in such coincidence with the similar movement of the system of blocks A that as each block passes to and beneath the plunger H the trough carrying the color for the said block will bring its roller N in contact therewith, to supply the same with a color requisite to the production of an impression thereby.

Upon each side of the machine, pivoted upon the end of the shaft 11, is an arm, P, the free ends of which carry a transverse gripiugbar, R. The ends of the arms P project somewhat beyond the plate R, in order to afford bearings for a rockshaft, P, provided at one end with a lever, B, which rests upon a crankpin, S, on a gear-wheel, S, gearing with the spunwheel L on the shaft H.

The rock-shaft is provided with claws u, so arranged that when the lever B is permitted to fall the claws will be brought to or against.

the bar E, to form in connection therewith a kind of clutch, the function and use of which will presently herein appear. Upon the arms P are shoulders 20, which rest upon the crank-,

pins S during a portion of the revolutions of the latter, so aslto be lifted and let fall at due intervals thereby.- The shaft that carries the gear-wheel S carries at its :opposite end a disk, T, upon which is provided the second crank-pin S, to act upon the shoulder to of the arm P at that side of the machine, so that both ends of the barR shall be raised and lowered simultaneously.

In the operation of the'machine the cloth to be printed has one end passed up beneath the plunger H upon the table W, immediately below the same, the edges of the cloth passing under spring-plates f arranged to throw the blocks clear from the cloth as soon as the impression is given; These plates are held in place by their downwardly-projectingguide stems, 04*, which pass down through guides in the ends of the table W, and are pressed upward by springs g. The end of the cloth, being thus drawn over the table W, is brought bet-ween the bar R and rock-shaft P, the claws not the latter holding it strained across the table W. This done, the nearest adjacent block A, having received its color from the roller N of the appropriate trough M, is brought immediately over the table W and under the plunger H, whereupon the descent of the plunger forces down theiblock A upon the fabric, and prints or impresses the same with the color and portion of the design with which said block is provided. As soon as this is accomplished, and the plunger begins its up ward movement, the spring-plates f throw the block out of contact with the cloth, so. that its movement therefrom shall not drag or smear the surface. This done, another intermittent impulse is given to the system of: blocks A and system of troughs N by the; succeeding revolution of the driving-shaft, and the succeeding block is brought in like manner to print its color and its own special portion of the design upon the cloth. In this manner the several blocks are made to act upon the cloth until all have impressed the same, and the design is printed complete upon that portion of the cloth uponwhich the blocks have been made to act, as aforesaid; whereupon the crankpins S, rising against the shouldersw of the arms P, elevate the bar R and its attached rock shaft P, one of the crank-pins having just previously lifted the lever B to bring the claws it away from the bar It to release the clutch of the device upon the cloth. When the bar and its adjuncts have been lifted tothe height required for a new clutch or hold upon the cloth, the continued rotation of the crank-pins S permits, first, the falling of the lever 1%., which causes the rock-shaft P and bar R to gripe the cloth between them; and, second, the descent of the said bar and rock-shaft to draw downward upon the cloth to an extent sufficient to bring or feed the next adjacent portion of the cloth upon the table W, to be in like manner printed by the successive action of the several printing-blocks, successive portions of the cloth being in this manner fed to the action of the said blocks until the entire pieceof the cloth has been printed.

What we claim asonr invention is l. The endlesssystem of printing-blocks A, the endless system of color-troughs M, carrying color-feed rollers N, the plunger H, and

the vibrating griping cloth-feed, comprising the rock-shaft P and bar R, the whole combined and arranged for use by means of suitable connecting mechanism, substantially as and'for the purpose set forth.

2. The arms Pand lever It, in combination with the bar R and rock-shaft P, having claws u, the aforesaidarms and lever being, actuated in unison with the printing-blocks Aaud colortroughs M by means of the crank S, substantially as and for-the purpose set forth.

3. The driving-shaft'E, rod 1), pin a, pawl and ratchet h t, rod 1", elbow-lever I, rod J,

crank-pin b,'pawl a, ratchet f, and spurwheels F G, the whole arranged to give motion to the endless system of color-troughs in unison with the movements of the printingblocks. substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

LEWIS M. RANDALL. HENRY A. MOORE. Witnesses for RANDALL:

Mourns HALL, JACOB BnLLEG. Witnesses for MooRE:

H. WELLS, J r., ELBERT DEARBORN. 

